Siebleber pond
| Siebleber pond | ||
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| Geographical location | Thuringia , Germany | |
| Tributaries | Geierslache-Bach | |
| Drain | in the red brook | |
| Location close to the shore | Gotha Siebleben | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 50 ° 56 '7 " N , 10 ° 45' 46" E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 275 m | |
| surface | 16 ha | |
| length | 400 m | |
| width | 400 m | |
| scope | 1.6 km | |
| Maximum depth | 1.5 m | |
| Middle deep | 0.8 m | |
The Siebleber Pond is an artificially created reservoir in a lowland ( Siebleber Senke ) a few hundred meters north of the Seeberg near Gotha , between the villages of Siebleben in the northwest, Tüttleben in the northeast and Seebergen in the southeast. It lies at a height of about 275 m and has a depth of about 1.50 m, fluctuating slightly according to the amount of water inflow. The pond is one of the sights on and on the Seeberg near Gotha and is the core of the 28 hectare nature reserve of the same name. The pond is also part of the FFH area Seeberg-Siebleber pond with the number 054.
history
Beginnings and first digs
From historical documents it can be seen that the Siebleber Ried with today's pond area represents the remainder of an Ice Age lake, which dates from around 7,300 to 3,800 BC. BC had its greatest extent.
To create fertile terrain, the area was drained via the Rot-Bach , which flows via Cobstädt in the east to Wandersleben and there flows into the Apfelstädt . For this purpose, the Gotha city parliament at the end of the 17th century issued an order to the communities of Tüttleben and Cobstädt to open their trenches so that the water can flow out of the reed under threat of a fine of ten Reichstalers for non-compliance. The ducal order for this is dated September 23, 1697. After tough negotiations with the ducal government, the Siebleben community and the neighboring Mönchhof estate were granted the right to trustee the reed on June 22, 1709 . The first draft for the pond construction was only available on May 14, 1717, and in June excavation began in place of the larger late glacial water surface. The area was marked out as a square with sides of 1000 Schuh (1 Weimarischer Schuh = 28.198 cm). This resulted in a planned water surface of 280,000 m².
The excavation was used to build wide enclosing dams in the south, east and north, which were, however, lower than today's. The pond was to become a ducal fish pond, one of many.
120 militiamen were deployed under the command and supervision of a captain and an ensign . These moved 70 wheelbarrows , 20 digging sheaths, 20 shovels and 20 picks ( hoes ). The billeting took place in Siebleben, a shack was set up to protect against bad weather, beer and bread as well as two meals were brought daily. As additional pay , the soldiers received 9 pfennigs , 1 pot (= 1.82 liters) of beer per day and 2 fathoms once a month .
In addition, by a ducal decree there was a payment of 3 groschen per processed (forest) rod (= 4.51 m). Since the excavation was probably started at the (wrong) western end, there were problems with the water inflow from Rot, Girrbach (see Geierslache (today's name)), the Riedwasser itself and other sources from the Seeberg, e.g. B. the Iffland spring . At that time, the Girrbach still led its water to the middle of the pond, presumably via the wooden or clay channels that were once used.
From September 1717 to September 1719
In September 1717 it is decreed that the pond on its east side, the deepest point where an artificial drain was built, must have a minimum depth of 0.28 cm in winter so that the fish can survive. As it turned out later, this was not enough. In addition, two drainage channels made of strong logs were to be set up. The channel in the middle of the east dam is the then and now flow. The other channel in the southeast corner forms the current inlet from the Geierslache (flow direction reversed due to site construction measures!). Furthermore, in the event of heavy rainfall, the water at the drains should be regulated and several fish trenches should be prepared in order to be able to catch the fish from the water holes and bring them to a safe place in winter.
At the beginning of 1718, the work was initially completed. Part of the red water fed the pond and the vulture pool.
In mid-June 1719, the work with 77 day laborers was resumed and ended on September 22, 1719.
Pond design and economic importance
The first fish stocking was carried out in 1718, but the pond was drained again over winter due to the poor and shallow water and the fish stocking was carried out again in 1719, with carp , pike , tench , perch and whitefish .
In 1723 the dams were planted with willows made from Tonna and alders from the Netherlands and Ichtershausen .
In 1724 242 linden trunks were added to the east dam, some of which are still standing today and are over 280 years old. In 1733, on a ducal order, the pond had to be cleaned of rushes and reeds with scythes under water . Again and again the red was cleaned ('' Rotfege ''). Alder trees were replaced by bushes as early as 1739.
From 1722 to 1733 three fishing trips were made. In total, around 7500 kg of carp, 800 kg of pike, 300 kg of white fish and 150 kg of other fish (tench, eel , perch, crucian carp ) were fished . The entire catch went to the court kitchen, with the exception of the carp. A part was placed in the city moat, the rest sold. Until 1842 the yield could be estimated at more than 42,000 kg. Converted that is an average of 350 kg of fish per year from 1722 to 1842. These poor results had various causes, such as B. Total losses in the winters 1754/55 and 1779/80, dehydration due to extreme summers, draining , pond work, leaky dams, lack of food, flushing out during floods, fish death in four years, silting, wild growth and destruction of the drain. All in all, it has not been possible to effectively push back the pipe or to avoid further expansion and to give the pond a water depth that the fish needed to multiply and survive in winter.
The low gross profit of about 80 guilders prompted the owners to plan in 1734 to dry out the pond for a few years in order to grow grain and fruit in it. However, the plans were not implemented.
The fishing industry was resumed and operated, with interruptions, until 1842 and again from 1917 to 1923. The largest recorded fishing harvest dates back to 1738: over 300 kg of pike , approx. 2.5 t of carp , 25 kg of perch and 650 kg whitefish caught. After that, the harvest decreased steadily, due to the causes already mentioned.
The increasing siltation made itself felt as early as 1760. Because of the coating of rubbish and other vegetation, the pond was no longer suitable for fish farming . The area was leased to the citizens in plots for planting herbs. The dams were sown with grain and planted with willow. The harvested pasture rods were sold to the basket weavers from Schönau vor dem Walde , who, however, were unable to pay over time. The farmers couldn't work all the beds either, and the rest had been under water for years. Thus, in 1773, the pond was completely desludged with the creation of a pond island from the sludge material. The entire area had to be re-drained because of the water masses from the reed. Trenches were dug in the south and east (today the one towards the refuge, see picture above) of the pond and the dams were raised. However, all of the measures failed to dry out the reed. After it was planned in 1807 to deepen the Rot further in order to pull the sludge out of the pond by increasing the rate of runoff, the flood of 1808 probably provided the necessary conviction to take long-demanded measures. Due to the flood, large parts of the south and southeast of Siebleben and Tüttleben were under water, the Siebleber pond, which incidentally only received its current name at this time (1811), overflowed, and the fish swam in the reed.
In 1842 the yield from fishing became so low that it was completely drained again. Several trenches were dug in the west and east, and a few remains of reeds were left to the north and south for pheasants . It was planted with cabbage to curb the reeds , but this drainage did not push the reeds back enough either, so that it had to be cut off from the raft at least in the middle of the pond. Interest in fish and forestry at the pond decreased, with the establishment of a pheasantry in the Mönchshof, more pheasants and ducks were released on the pond . From then on there was an increased interest in hunting in this area, but poultry breeding was discontinued again due to inefficient hunting results.
In contrast to the fishing industry, forestry did not have to expect any short-term yields; first one had to make cost-intensive investments. Gradually, however, the focus of management was shifted from fish to forestry. However, there are no records of any significant yields from the forest.
The occurrence of the moor frog is also of importance . Reeds and clown algae communities are to be noted from a floristic point of view. Today the water is supplied with water through a pipe system of the Vulture Pool. A feed of water from a receiving water of the red, as noted on an information board at the pond, does not take place. The water level of the Rot is too low for that.
In the middle of the east dike, a pond or fish house was rebuilt in 1773 after a previous building and repaired in 1794, but it is no longer preserved today. Here on the well-fortified and secured foundation walls, a bench was handed over and inaugurated on May 2, 2004 in the presence of the mayor of the twin town Gastonia and her delegation .
Right next to it is a seating group with a stone plaque to Hermann Löns with one of his verses: Leave your eyes open, close your mouth and walk quietly, so secret things will be revealed to you.
Today the area of the Siebleber pond is a nature reserve with an area of 27.33 hectares.
The dispute over pond and reed between the duke, the city of Gotha and the community of Siebleben
1717 to 1874
For a long time, the property and usage rights as well as the cost and benefit distribution at Siebleber Ried and Teich were unclear or the existing agreements were not respected and denied. Essentially, the dispute between the ducal chamber in Gotha, the Gotha City Council and the communities of Siebleben and Tüttleben took place.
After the pond was created at the beginning of the 18th century, until 1777/79 and 1798 there was only agreement that the Gotha city council and the community of Siebleben have joint usage and administrative rights. Several times, the mayors of the two communities and the city council were summoned to Schloss Friedenstein for negotiations. Siebleben's dissatisfaction with the results of the negotiations is reflected in a list of demands that was handed over to "By God's grace Friedrich the 1st Duke of Saxony, Jülich, Cleve, Berg, also Egern and Westphalia" ( Friedrich III. ). This was required
- no new forced labor (digging trenches and red sweeping)
- no withdrawal of the Geierslacher source
- no rights to princely servants to the detriment of the community
- if the pond does not produce the expected results, the site will be returned to the community without reimbursement of costs
- if the pond is “unpopular” with the Duke in the future, the same applies
It was particularly pointed out that the community had to sacrifice 60 acres by enlarging the pond area .
Although the Duke was angry at the lack of submission, the demands were largely approved. However, since the consent was not documented - the ducal word had been relied on - there were later numerous unpleasant arguments. The ducal chamber issued an order on April 25, 1722, although Siebleben had the full right of control over the dams, which forbade the Siebleber shepherds from operating the dams with cattle under threat of punishment and damages. This was remembered again in 1739. The bureaucratic feud between the ducal chamber and the municipality lasted until 1811, whereby the chamber disregarded all the results of the last 95 years and considered itself the sole owner of the pond. A memorandum of the city council of March 12, 1819, in which the draining of the pond and its dismantling was suggested due to unprofitability, remained unanswered. Only after 114 years of constant back and forth, in 1822, did the Chamber sign an agreement "for eternity" with the content:
- The pond and dams remain the property of the Duke
- the duke renounces the right to ridge drift
- Siebenben keeps the reed
- Siebleben does without the pond area
Nine years later Siebleben bought the remaining part of the reed from the city of Gotha for 16,000 Reichstaler . In 1852 the ducal chamber approved the leasing of the reeds to the hunting tenants. The Rot-Bach was regulated from 1866 to 1872, in 1880 pheasants were released in the pond area, and in 1874 Siebleben, Tüttleben, Cobstädt and Seebergen formed a red cooperative.
1874 until today
In 1905 there was a division of domains , through which the entire ducal house received the pond area with 14.5 ha and the state the dams (8.2 ha). In 1912 the pond also went to the state, which bought it for 25 times the annual income assumed at the time of division (4,500 marks ).
In the course of the changes in ownership, a previously unnamed aspect came into the spotlight: nature conservation . The protection of flora and fauna has not played a role so far, only economic interests determined the fate of the pond. For example, nature conservation, which has recently been discussed, was viewed with suspicion in terms of its usefulness, until Forstrat von Blücher made it unequivocally clear in the state parliament session on March 23, 1912 that the pond should be preserved for the care of the landscape and for the benefit of the birds. The estimated costs of 1,500 to 2,000 marks as well as the purchase price were taken from the forest fund and the pond area was leased to the court hunting office for further hunting. It was thought of additional income from the sale of reeds in reed-rich years. Paths, bridges and side ditches (flood ditches) were improved, and a three-meter-wide concrete bridge was built on the south side of the avenue of linden trees. The east embankment received 100 avenue trees.
With the beginning of the First World War , the renovation work ended; Seebergen should only do emergency work, and with empty coffers. On October 13, 1914, the State Ministry determined that he was penniless and declared that there was no time to beautify the landscape. The director of the Reyher School , Karl Kohlstock , noted in booklet 16 of his “voyages of discovery in the home” that the pond was fed by the red, but he was wrong: the red is deeper than the pond. In the course of a “big job creation campaign” in 1932/33, people remembered the pond again. The pond area was to be expanded from 1.4 ha to 7 ha. However, nothing happened. Only the Red Cooperative performed its duties. However, this had no effect on the pond, only on the pond meadows and the reed. However, the red sweeps had an unfavorable influence on the pond, as this caused the water table to drop.
Although Siebleben had already been incorporated in 1922, in 1940 Gotha submitted a renewed application to the State of Thuringia to take over the Siebleber pond in exchange for property on the Kleiner Seeberg and the council wood of the city of Gotha. Gotha was more and more interested in enlivening and beautifying the cityscape with standing and flowing waters and in doing something good for the residents' relaxation. The Mönchshof with its ponds was acquired for the same reason.
The pond has been a nature reserve since 1967 . Seating and a log cabin invite you to linger today to observe the beauty of nature with flora and fauna and to find peace. Some nature lovers (including the author of the book Der Siebleber Teich , which served as the source for this article) are still fighting "with hands and feet" against the impending siltation.
Nature reserve
As already mentioned, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century (1912) that the objectives of nature conservation were dealt with. But it would take another 35 years before the first efforts to designate the Seeberg and the Siebleber pond as a nature reserve were recognized. In the meantime, as it were in preparation for this, the Siebleber nature observer and conservationist Lothar Ritter went public with a large number of animal photos in the 1940s. At that time the forest rangers, the hunting tenants, the game overseers and the hunters took care of nature conservation. The district nature conservation officer was responsible for enforcing nature conservation, if defined. On December 4, 1947, he submitted an application to declare the Seeberg and Siebleber pond as a landscape protection area, the first in the area of the city of Gotha. However, a decision on this was only brought about 20 years later, on September 11, 1967, by the resolution of the Agriculture Council of the former GDR: The Siebleber pond was declared a nature reserve and thus placed under protection. Just one year later, the current state of the Seeberg and Siebleber Pond recreation areas was determined because it was recognized that the "recreational landscapes ... are as precious as natural resources".
The legal bases for nature conservation in Thuringia, which also apply to the Siebleber pond, are diverse:
- Thuringian Law on Nature Conservation and Landscape Management (ThürNatG) of April 29, 1999
- Law for the conservation, protection and management of the forest and the promotion of forestry (ThürWaldG) of February 26, 2004
- Thuringian Hunting Act (ThürJG) of February 26, 2004
All laws oblige nature conservation authorities, forestry and hunting to comply with the regulations for the preservation of the natural foundations of human life.
Wildlife
The heavy siltation , lack of fresh water and human intervention, but also predators ( wild boars , foxes ) and birds of prey ( marsh harriers , common ravens , red kites , buzzards ) are the main reasons for the decline in the population of water birds at the Siebleber pond. In addition, dogs and cats are enemies of the bird world. However, since birds of prey and their prey are under protection, they are not allowed to be hunted.
To protect breeding birds, there are plans to create an approximately 10 meter wide bird protection strip at the transition from the water surface to the reeds, which is surrounded by a 2 meter wide moat and in the main breeding season from the beginning of April to the end of July is additionally surrounded by an electric pasture fence Keep away predators, humans, dogs and cats.
Conservationists also demand strict adherence to the obligation to keep dogs on a leash in order to keep away dangers to the brood of birds and discarded fawns, but also to protect the dog, which is usually the inferior when it comes to meeting wild boars.
Whereas in the past 128 different bird species could be counted in the pond area, of which 62 were classified as breeding birds and 12 species as suspected breeding, there were only 37 breeding bird species between 2001 and 2003. A special attraction is the return and flight break of the starlings in March, who come to the pond by the thousands, mate and fly north to their breeding grounds. In autumn they come back, pause and fly on south.
Forestry and fishing
After the state had bought the site of the Siebleber pond in 1912 and let it be leased by the chief forester, efforts to use it for commercial purposes began again. After improvements in the construction of roads, trenches and bridges and larger plantings, the chief forester mentioned to the parliamentary committee that the public traffic had increased considerably, the old fish house on the east dam was in poor condition and is now to be converted into a forest and hunting lodge. In addition, a refuge for walkers and the purchase of a boat for hunting and forestry purposes were warned. The cost proposal of 505 marks was approved and the planned measures implemented.
As early as the end of May 1913, the State Ministry demanded further measures to beautify the landscape at the Siebleber pond. In June of the same year, the incumbent chief forester made a number of proposals for the rehabilitation of the pond, especially in the vicinity of the east dam. With 1,000 marks from a foundation, part of the demands were implemented: (re) restoration of the source and the well of the Veierslache, renewal of the iron pipeline to the pond (which can still be seen today), partial excavation of the pond and construction of the refuge.
The First World War brought work to a standstill until 1920, and not much was done on the property until 1930: the annual expenditure is estimated at 30 to 50 marks. However, in 1917 a six-year lease with a lease fee of 80 marks per year was concluded. The tenant, a fish farmer, was well aware of the risks he was taking: poor economic situation towards the end of the war, risks of the pond drying out in hot summers and freezing through in cold winters, and the lack of drainage facilities, which makes fishing difficult. It is not known whether he succeeded.
In 1935 the Thuringian Forestry Agency carried out a pond value calculation which, as a result of the logging on the Siebleber pond, resulted in a value of 14,293 Reichsmarks ; Added to this were the values of the pond house as well as the water and reed areas, so that a total of 18,913 Reichsmarks was calculated.
Before, during and after the Second World War , only a few anglers showed up at the pond. The last valid fishing permit dates back to 1973 and was issued to the VEB inland fishery Gotha, whose chief fisherman at the time still operates a trout farm in Gotha. However, the right to enter the bank was limited to the east dam, whereby the conditions of the nature conservation administration had to be observed. The contract was later terminated in the interests of nature conservation, including a lack of income and unfavorable conditions.
Current use and redevelopment plans
The last time a control fishing was carried out to determine the fish population was in 2005, which unearthed 50 kg of fish: rudd and roach 60%, goldfish and crucian carp 40%. From this it follows once again that the Siebleber pond cannot be used economically as a fish pond as long as the known deficiencies persist: lack of food, water surface that is too small, water cannot be drained, too high a cellulose content. The fact that exactly there (on the Ostdamm) where the anglers want to work, also the strollers and those looking for relaxation with children and dogs, speaks against the use of the water as a fishing pond. On the other hand, there is much to be said for keeping the area untouched as a nature reserve.
Regardless of the wishes of the anglers, there is a constant need for fresh water in sufficient quantity and quality. The only inflow at the moment is that from the Vulture Pool with around 30 m³ / day with a decreasing trend. That is not enough to compensate for the loss due to evaporation and plant water consumption, seepage due to falling groundwater levels, leaking east dam and other reasons.
Today there are various plans to remedy the grievances. The implementation of the project would increase the fresh water supply at least three times:
- Diverting the water from the smith's fountain with about 57 m³ daily and discharging it into the vulture pool. Siebleben once needed this water to feed the running fountain in Oberstraße; however, this is now supplied by a cistern.
- Reduction of water evaporation by removing the willow dams
- Deforestation of the leaky water side of the east dam with a completely new seal with a clay skirt
- Avoidance of the discharge of suspended matter from the open inflow section from the Geierslache by piping starting 100 m earlier
Unfortunately, there is currently not enough money to implement these plans.
The high reed population creates another problem: if the reeds are not prevented from spreading, the pond will silt up more and more and ultimately dry out. Past generations have tried four times, unsuccessfully, to drain the pond, remove the reeds and cultivate it. Today such an intervention would not be carried out for reasons of nature conservation law. The remaining possible solution is the careful pruning outside the breeding season of the birds and in winter, also the removal of the root rhizomes. However, the work must be repeated every year, but then with significantly less effort. Because reeds, even when harvested, store water, i.e. remain germinable, they must be disposed of carefully and professionally.
Paths to the pond
- Coming from Gotha:
- From the Am Seeberg road at the Europabrücke path south of the railway to the Geierslache (3.5 km), then through the tunnel north to the southern tip of the Ostdamm (0.4 km), where the Geierslache-Graben joins the NSG (southeast -Corner). (Total: 3.9 km)
- Walk south of Mönchhof / Mönchpark along the Rot, leave the sports field on the left, to the entrance of the NSG (south-west corner) (1.4 km, suitable for cars in dry conditions)
- Path south of Mönchhof / Mönchpark along the Rot, leave the sports field on the right, to the entrance of the NSG (northeast corner), past the log cabin to the pond (2.1 km) (recommended way back: variant 2)
- Country road from Siebleben (B 7), on the K 2 past the car dealerships, after 1.1 km (from B 7) turn right into the field path, past the log cabin directly to the lake (Ostdamm) (total 1.55 km, Suitable for cars up to the branch in the dirt road)
- Coming from Seebergen:
- From the Seebergen railway bridge on the K 2 after 1.7 km, turn left into the field path, past the log cabin directly to the lake (Ostdamm) (total 2.1 km, suitable for cars to the branch into the field path)
- From the Seebergen Weg railway bridge south of the railway to the Geierslache (1.6 km), then through the tunnel north to the southern tip of the Ostdamm (0.4 km), where the Geierslache-Graben joins the NSG (southeast corner). (Total: 2.0 km, suitable for cars in dry conditions)
Siebleber pond working group
In order to examine the concerns and needs of the pond, to find solutions to the problems, to advise and support, a working group has been formed which is composed of members from various state and municipal offices, nature conservation authorities and private individuals. This includes the nature conservationist Wolfgang Förster, who has done a lot of work to preserve the sights in the region of the Seeberg and the Siebleber pond. The working group meets regularly and has planned a number of measures, some of which are already in preparation. All measures should protect the NSG Siebleber Teich with flora and fauna and preserve it for posterity.
Sources and literature
- Wolfgang Förster: The Seeberg, local mountain of the city of Gotha . 2003
- Wolfgang Förster: The Siebleber pond - beauty plus tranquility equals enjoyment plus relaxation . 2006
- in this:
- Local recreation working group: Analysis of the current situation in the Seeberg and Siebleber pond recreational areas . 1968
- Dr. Beck: History of the Gothaer Land . 1876
- R. Bellstedt : amphibians and reptiles in the district of Gotha . 2002
- Brückner: Collection of various messages . 1760
- Galletti: History and Description of the Duchy of Gotha . 1781
- Hörchner: Around the Friedenstein . 1930
- Engineering office Müller and Richert: Seeberg hiking map . 2005
- Institute for Landscape Research and Nature Conservation Halle: Treatment guidelines for the NSG Siebleber Teich . 1985
- Several teachers: Duke's regional studies . 1884
- State of Thuringia:
- Thür. Nature Conservation Act . 1999
- Thür. Forest Act . 2004
- Thür. Hunting Law . 2004
- R. Tittel: Report on the results of the survey of the bird life of the NSG Siebleber Teich . 2004
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Nature reserves in the district of Gotha: Sieblebener pond. Thuringian State Institute for Environment and Geology (TLUG), 2009, accessed on April 14, 2011 : "The" Siebleber Teich "(NSG 39) represents the bottom of a former, extensive lake that was largely silted up. ... With its various humid biotopes that are rich in rare fungi, the NSG is an outstanding location for the occurrence of moisture-loving fungi in Thuringia. "
- ↑ Official Gazette of the district of Gotha from May 23, 2013
Apfelstädtaue between Wechmar and Wandersleben | Apfelstädter Ried | Castle hill with Baldrichstein and herb meadow | Big Island Mountain | Hirschgrund | Jonastal | Little wagon mountain | Oberhardt | Röhnberg | Saukopfmoor | Schloßleite | Seeberg | Siebleber pond | Spittergrund | Unstruttal between Nägelstedt and Großvargula | Front Schwarzbachwiese | Meadows southeast of Fischbach